Friction clutch for converting reciprocal motion into rotary motion



[87 19 P. E. GELDHO F 1,771,781

1 3mm cLmcH- FOR CONVERTING RECIPROCAL MOTION INTO ROTARY MOTION Filed Jan. 19 1926 I E 4; 51/? I 1 -r Patented July 29, 1930 UNITED STATES iPATENT OFFICE PETER E. GELDHOF, OF SYRACUSE, YORK, ASSIGNOR TO SYRACUSE WASHING MA- CHINE CORPORATION, OF SYRACUSE, NEW YORK, A CORPORATION OF DELAWARE FRICTION CLUTCH FOR CONVERTING RECIPROCAI. MOTION INTO ROTARY MOTION Application filed January 19, 1926'. Serial No. 82,253.

This invention relates to a friction clutch adapted to be used more particularly in connection with the driving mechanism of a clothes washing machine in which a vertically movable plunger is reciprocated longitudinally by means of a power driven lever hinged to swing about a horizontal axis some distance from its 1 connection with the plunger.

In machines of this character the washing mechanism preferably comprises a plurality of inverted cups mounted upon the plunger in circumferentially spaced relation about the axis thereof for vertical movement within the tub or vat so as to act upon the clothes by pressure and suction as. they are moved downwardly and upwardly and, in order that the cups may act upon practically the entire surface of the clothes, suitable means is provided for intermittingly rotating the plunger with the cups thereon or for imparting an intermittent planetary movement to the cups as the plunger approaches the limit of its upward stroke or when the cups are free from engagement with the clothes.

In most machines of this type the plunger extends from beneath upwardly through and above a gland in the bottom of the tub and this gland usually extends some distance above said bot-tom to afford a proper guide for the plunger in addition to its function of preventing the leakage of water therethrough and it frequently happens that when the machine is in operation the intermittent rotary motion causes the clothes to become I wound around the center post of the gland resulting sometimes in stopping theoperation of the washing mechanism or, when the fabrics are delicate, in mutilation of such fabrics.

Either or both of these results are, of course, objectionable and while I am aware that certain devices have heretofore been used for effecting this intermittent rotary motion with more or less'friction drive it has been found that in many of these devices the friction relied upon for imparting the intermittent rotary motion is insufiicient under normal conditions while in other machines it isexcessive when the clothes become wound around the centerpost resulting in more. or less mutilation of the clothes as previously explained. i

The main object of the present invention is to provide the connection between the power lever and plunger with means for imparting a more positive intermittent rotary motion to the plunger and washing mechanism under normal resistance as the plunger approaches the limit of its upward stroke and at thersame time to prevent such intermittent rotation under abnormal resistance such as the winding of the clothes around the plunger or guide post.

I have found that in actual practice this object can be successfully carried out in a most eflicient manner by providing the plunger with a concentric peripheral face adapted to be engaged by a circumferentially oscillating friction dog pivotally mounted upon an oscillating member at one side ofthe axis of the plunger and oscillating said member by the lever as the latter is raised and lowered in the reciprocation of the plunger.

Another object is to provide yielding means for urging the friction dog into engagement with the periphery of the-friction disk so as to assure quick action of the pawl upon the disk as the lever and plunger are moved upwardly and also to assure quick release of the disk during the downward movement of the plunger or, in case the clothes should become wound around the plunger or guide post.

Other objects and uses relating to the specific parts of the device will be brought out in the following description.

In the drawings Figure 1 is a side elevation of a portion of the plunger and itsoperating mechanism showing a part of the wash tub orvat in section.

Figure 2 is an enlarged horizontal sectional view taken in'the plane of line'22.

Figure 3 is an enlarged vertical sectional view taken along the line 3-3, Figure 2.

-Figure 4 is a horizontal sectional view taken in the plane of line H/Figurc 3'.

In order that the invention may be clearly understood. I have shown a portion of wash tub or vat -1 mounted upon a platform 2- of the main supporting frame and provided with a central guide post or gland 3 through which a Vertically movable plunger 4 is adapted to be reciprocated.

The washing mechanism, not shown, is adapted to be mounted upon the upper end of the plunger within the vat or tub V1- to act upon the clothes by pressure and suction as the plunger" is reciprocated.

The means for reciprocating the plunger comprises a lever -5 having one end pivotally connected to the lower end of. a link -5 which, in turn, is pivoted to the underside of the platform 2 some distance to one'side of the plunger- Thev inner end of'the lever is preferably bifurcated and pivoted to suitable trunnions :on diametrically opposite sides of a collar 7', Figure 3, which, in turn, is loose- Ly mounted upon the lower end of the plunger '4 to permit the latter to turn therein.

The-lower end of the collar +7 rests upon an endthrust washer bearing 8 which is held in operative position by anut .9 engaging the lower threaded end of the plunger 4, Figure 3, for holding the collar -7 against downward displacement.

The upper end of the collar is engaged by a member:-10-.which is free to oscillate circumferentially upon the adjacent portion of the plunger -4- and is held against upward displacement by a superposed disk -.11 having a peripheral friction surface 11- concentric with the axis of the plunger, said disk-+11- being keyed by pin 12 to the plunger to rotate therewith and also to hold the member 10 and collar 7 against upward displacement on the plunger. The oscillatory member 10 is provided with late-rally projecting arms 10 and 10" at opposite sides of its axis, one of said arms as 10-being provided with a lug 10' projecting upwardly across the periphery of the adjacent side of the friction disk 11 for apurpose presently described. 7

The other arm 10 of the member 10 is provided with an oil passage 13 leading to the periphery of the plunger t for lubricating the bearing surfaces between said plunger and member 10 and incidentally lubricating the bearing between the: plunger and. collar -A.pawl w141+ is interposed between the oscillating member=10' and friction disk l1 and preferably extends entirely around the "plunger" 4 to form a-central opening '-15."of appreciably greater diameter than the-hub of"tl1e=member '10. so as to permitthe pawl "to move laterally relatively to the oscillatory member -10- and friction disk 1"1-.-i. 7 t 1 i One endof thepawl'14 is pivoted at 16"to .the 'arm* 10 of the member 10 some distance to the corresponding side of the axis of the plunger 4- to permit said pawl to swing laterally.

The other end of the pawl is provided with a friction shoe 17- projecting upwardly across the periphery of the friction disk -11. Shoe 17 has a rounded front end from which extends outwardly a heel 17 adjacent one side of the lug -lbut in spaced relation thereto to form a bearing for one end of a coiled spring l8 which is seated in a socket 19- in the lug 10" as shown in Figure 4.

The side of the inner forked end of the lever adjacent the arm is provided with longitudinally spaced shoulders 20 and .20 above the pivot 6 for engaging opposite faces of said arm and thereby imparting an oscillatory motion to the member 10 as the inner end of the lever is rocked upwardly and downwardly for reciprocating the plunger 4-.

The means for operating the lever 5 comprises a power driven shaft 2l journaled in a gear case 22 on the underside of the platform -2 and provided with a crank arm -28 external to said gear'c'ase, said crank arm being connected'by a pitman 24 to the intermediate portion of the lever whereby the leverwill be rocked ver- 1; 11 r.' .u T(1-0 Y 9 ma y r01 impai tin p.- correspon 111,. mowement to the plunger 4- as the shaft -21 is rotated.

A compensating arm 25 is journaled at one end on the gear case 22 and has its other end pivotally connected at 26 to the lever -5 to cause the inner end of the lever to move as nearly as possible in a straight vertical line parallel with the plunger. I 1

It will be noted that the inner face of the friction shoe 17 and periphery of the disk -11 are smooth and that the friction face of the shoe is of substantially the same radius as'the periphery of the disk l1' and that the spring 1S yieldingly holds the shoe in contact with said periphery under a comparatively light pressure.

It will also be noted that the shoe -17 is located circumferentially mainly to one side of a direct line passing through the pivot 16 and center of the plunger 4 and disk 11 and that the pivot 16 is located at one side of a direct line between the center of the shoe 17 and center of the plunger 1- so that if the arm- 10"' of the member 10'is moved toward the left hand, Figures 2 or 4, the'pivot -'16 for the pawl 14 will be carried with it thereby drawing the -shoe 17 radially int'o frictional engagement with the periphery-of the disk 11 for'rot'ating said disk in the direction indicated by arrow w-, Figuret.

This movement of the arm -10 and ill! pivot 16 of the pawl 1l is effected by the shoulder 20 as the inner end of the lever 5- and plunger 4 approach the limit of their upward strokes or when the washing mechanism is free from engagement with the clothes, during which time the friction shoe 17- will be brought into frictional engagement with the periphery of the disk -11-- with sufficient force to rotate the plunger and washing mechanism carried thereby through a relatively small arc of movement by reason of the tendency of the pivot l6- to move toward a direct line passing through the shoe and center of the plunger.

That is, the arm l which moves about the axis of the plunger carrying the pivot 16- with it constitutes what may be termed a crank arm while the pawl 14- serves as a pitman connection between the pivot --16- and shoe -17 so that when the pivot is moved toward a direct line passing through the shoe and center of the plunger it draws the shoe into contact with the periphery of the disk 11 and thereby effects a partial rotation of said plunger and washing mechanism carried thereby as the plunger approaches the limit of its upward stroke.

On the other hand as the inner end of the lever and plunger are moved downwardly the lug 20 engages the adjacent face of the arm 10 thereby rocking said arm toward the right hand of Figure 4 and consequently moving the shoe -1'(' slightly away from the periphery of the disk -11 ready for a repetition of the intermittent rotary motion as the plunger again approaches the limit of its upward stroke, it being understood that when the arm -10 is moved in one direction the shoe 17 will be moved in the opposite direction.

The corner of the shoe facing the lug -18 adjacent the disk is slightly rounded as shown in Figure f to facilitate the slipping movement of the pawl and friction shoe relatively to the disk in case of abnormal resistance to the rotation of the washing mechanism'by the winding of the clothes around the plunger or its guide post or from any other causes. 7 e

For example, if, during the upward stroke of the plunger and washing mechanism, the resistance to rotation thereof should be excessive, the shoe 17- will simply ride along the periphery of the disk -llwithout rotating the same aided by the rounding corner at the inner end of the shoe.

What I claim is:

1. In a friction clutch of the character described, the combination with relatively rotat-able co-axial driving and driven members and means for eifeoting an angular movement of the driving member in reverse direcrtions, of a single friction shoe pivotally mounted on the driving member and having an angular movement about the axis of the driving member and another movement transversely of said axis for engaging and effecting an intermittent angular movement of the driven member in one direction, said shoe having an outwardly rounding front end, and means actuated by the angular movement of said driving member for effecting both movements of the shoe.

2. In a friction clutch of the character described, the combinationwith relatively rotatable co-axial driving and driven members and means for effecting an angular movement of the driving member in reverse directions, of a pawl pivoted eccentrically to the driving member to swing transversely of the axis thereof, and a single friction shoe on the pawl having an outwardly rounding front end for engaging the periphery of the driven member, said pivot and shoe being arranged in different radial planes relatively to the axis of rotation of both of said members whereby the angular movement of the driving member in one direction will cause the shoe to frictionally engage and rotate the driven member.

3. In a friction clutch of the character described, the combination with relatively rotatable coaxial driving and driven members and means for effecting an angular movement of the driving member in reverse directions, of a pawl pivoted eccentrically to the driving member to swing transversely of the axis thereof, and a single friction shoe on the pawl having an outwardly rounding front end for engaging the periphery ofrthe driven member, said pivot and shoe being arranged in different radial planes relatively to the axis of rotation of both of said members whereby the angular movement of the driving member in one direction will cause the shoe to frictionally engage and rotate the driven member, and a spring interposed between the shoe and adjacent portion of the driving member for automatically holding the shoe in contact with the periphery of the driven member.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand this 8th day of January 1926.

PETER E. GELDHOF. 

